


The Way to a Woman's Heart

by sunflowerbi



Series: Killing Eve prompts [3]
Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Post S3, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, could fit anywhere though, i'm soft and i love these gays, they're in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:36:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24886213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunflowerbi/pseuds/sunflowerbi
Summary: Inspired by this post: https://miss-villanelle.tumblr.com/post/621237698843262976/whos-gonna-write-the-villaneve-fic-where-eveThanks for tagging me, Britney! and thanks to the discord server for supporting me hahaEve cooks traditional Korean food for Villanelle, and Villanelle cooks traditional Russian food for Eve. They refuse to admit they like it, because they're dramatic. Plus they kiss because they're gay.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Series: Killing Eve prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1804087
Comments: 8
Kudos: 166





	The Way to a Woman's Heart

**Author's Note:**

> The end will have explanations of the food they make!  
> The Russian names V calls Eve:  
>  _moyo sladkaya_ : my sweet  
>  _rodnaya_ : dear

“It is not that I do not trust you, it is just that I do not trust this… black goop.” Villanelle was perched on a counter in the small kitchen of their apartment, trying to convince Eve to just order takeout.

“It’s not goop, darling. It’s _chunjang,_ bean paste. It’s good, I promise you’ll like it.” Eve continued chopping the zucchini in front of her, throwing it into a bowl with cabbage she’d already cut. She grabbed a pan from the cabinet next to Villanelle, dropping a kiss on her lips in passing, before grabbing the _goop_ , as it’d been titled, and pouring it into the pan. “You fry it with oyster sauce and sugar.” She noted, adding in the ingredients as she named them. While it was cooking, she pulled the cubed pork from the fridge, smiling as she added the marinade of ginger, rice wine, salt, and pepper. The kitchen had filled with the smell of home, and Eve realized just how much she’d missed cooking the traditional food her mom had managed to teach her. Between late nights at work and Niko’s interest in cooking, she hadn’t done it in longer than she could remember.

“It does not smell horrible, but I still do not think I will like it.” They’d been having this discussion all day, Eve insisting there were a few things she actually could cook, and Villanelle refusing to believe her. When Eve announced that she would be making _jajangmyeon_ _,_ Villanelle argued that they could always find a restaurant that served Korean barbeque. When Eve turned around to fill a pot with water, Villanelle smiled fondly, Eve looked wonderful, in _their_ kitchen, in _their_ apartment. She was beautiful, and she was happy, which filled Villanelle with a slightly unfamiliar feeling, something like pride but happier, like love but bigger. Instead of mentioning any of this to Eve, she rolled her eyes when the older woman looked at her.

“I think you will. Can you grab the noodles for me?” Eve asked, mostly ignoring the assassin’s complaints. She took the noodles Villanelle dutifully handed to her, dumping the package into a boiling pot of water. “It shouldn’t be long now; the pork is almost done and then I just have to mix the stock in with the _chunjang._ ” Eve smiled, she knew Villanelle would enjoy it, although something told her she’d never admit it. She pulled the strainer out and dumped the noodles, grabbing one and offering it to Villanelle to test. Villanelle took the opportunity to suck the noodle into her mouth, taking Eve’s finger along with it, smirking.

“Is it done?” Eve asked, attempting to ignore Villanelle’s tongue rolling around her index finger, eventually pulling it out before her breathing betrayed her.

“Yes. Although I was not.” Villanelle pouted, trying and failing to catch Eve’s wrist again. Eve laughed and served the noodles into two bowls, pouring the simmering sauce over top. She poured two small glasses of _soju_ , handing a bowl and glass to Villanelle before taking her own and heading to the table.

As soon as they sat down, Eve took a bite of her food, the sweet and savory mixing perfectly in her mouth and reminding her of happy evenings with her parents, of her first week of college, eating prepared meals her mom gave her. She looked over at her girlfriend, her brain still tripped over that word sometimes, _girlfriend_ , it made her feel like a seventeen-year-old on her way to prom. She watched her _girlfriend_ take a small bit onto her fork, looking at it like it might be poisoned. Eventually, though, she took a bite, cautiously putting it into her mouth. Ever the mystery, she kept her face neutral, taking another bite as if she needed more to make her judgment.

“It is fine.” Is all she said, taking another bite, holding her face very carefully. It was hard for Villanelle, eating slowly, feigning disinterest. She ate like she did all things, with zest, passionately going after any and everything she wanted. This time, she put small bites into her mouth, she didn’t vocalize her feelings. She refused to admit to Eve that it tasted wonderful, tasted how being with Eve felt, new but perfectly familiar, like the universe meant it that way and was so entirely happy to see it finally come to be. Instead she nodded, avoiding Eve’s curious eyes.

Thirty minutes later, they worked with each other to put the leftovers away, packaging it all and rinsing the dishes off. “Did you really not like it?” Eve still had trouble reading Villanelle sometimes, trying to figure out when she was lying.

“I told you, it was fine.” Villanelle smiled, leaning down to distract Eve with a kiss, her hands finding their place in Eve’s hair. “I will make you _kotleti_ tomorrow, you will love it.”

-

“Can you hand me an onion, _moyo sladkaya_?” Villanelle asked, placing small, colorful potatoes into a bowl. Eve handed it over, watching Villanelle move through the kitchen like she’d been cooking in it for years, not just the two months they’d been hidden away here. She chopped the onion expertly, dumping half of the pieces in with the potatoes and tossing it all with oil and various herbs. After being spread onto a pan she stuck them into the oven and set to work on the _kotleti._ Villanelle had mixed feelings about Russia, and everything attached to it. She hated being there, hated the people she’d known there, the life she’d lived. The food though, still made her warm inside, reminded her of the few good points in her childhood, learning to steal from street vendors and hiding in a dark alley with warm food settling into her stomach.

“It is important to soak the bread in the milk first, otherwise it will be shit.” Villanelle explained as she tore up the bread and placed it into a bowl of milk, mixing it around a bit.

“I still don’t see how this is any different from a bad chicken meatball.” Eve stretched, raising her eyebrows at Villanelle, who only rolled her eyes. Honestly, it smelled amazing, but Eve refused to let Villanelle win. She had insisted on pretending she didn’t really like the _jajangmyeon,_ but when Eve woke up the next morning, she noticed the leftovers were gone, and when Villanelle kissed her, she tasted like ginger. If Villanelle was going to play this game, Eve would too.

“It is not a meatball. Nor is it bad. So, that is how it is different.” Villanelle said plainly, beginning to mix the rest of the onion with the bread and the ground chicken, adding in various spices. She loved food, the way it could make people feel, the way a woman sounded when she ate something she really loved, the face someone made when they saw their favorite food. She spooned the meat into the pan, forming it into oblong patties. The pan sizzled loudly, the oil jumping around as the meat began to cook. She knew Eve would never admit to liking the food, but she would be able to tell, Eve was not as good at lying as she was, she wouldn’t be able to hide it as much.

“The table is ready, are the potatoes done, sweetheart?” Eve’s hand slid across the small of Villanelle’s back as she walked behind her, a kiss landing on her shoulder. She grabbed the _Medovukha_ Villanelle had picked out and poured it into their wine glasses, swirling the amber liquid around a bit.

“They are, yes. I just have to put them into a bowl so we can take them to the table. Then we can eat.” The potatoes and onions fell easily into the bowl, Villanelle using a spoon to help them along. “Will you bring the drinks? I assume the _kotleti_ is already on the table.”

They ate quietly, Villanelle watching Eve carefully as she took the first bite of her _kotleti,_ looking for any indication, positive or negative. She found Eve was better than she’d expected at keeping her expressions neutral, but little smiles gave her away, even as Villanelle inquired as to how she was enjoying her meal.

“It’s fine.” Eve smirked, impressed with herself, probably more than she should’ve been, giving Villanelle’s answer back to her. She took another bite, holding her smile back best as she could. The food tasted warm, filling, like the kind of food you bring to a friend to cheer them up. She watched Villanelle eat, quickly gathering bites of meat and potato into her mouth, pausing to savor the taste before getting more. She looked content, more so than she usually did when she ate, which said something. She had her usual passion but there was something else there too, and if Eve had to guess she’d say it looked like nostalgia.

“That is all? Just fine?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

Eve ate the leftovers as soon as Villanelle fell asleep.

-

“You know, if you want me to make _Hoddeok_ again you could just ask, you don’t have to casually leave the recipe on the counter.” Eve smiled fondly at Villanelle, who was lying on the couch, reading some book she’d picked up at the store across the street.

“That would ruin the fun of our little game, _rodnaya._ ” She didn’t look up, flipping the page as she continued to read. She really tried not to push it; she didn’t say anything when she bought the ingredients at the store, but it’d been a week and all she could think about was the honey and cinnamon filled pancake Eve had made her, fluffy and sweet, slightly sticky. So, she’d left the recipe out, hoping it would inspire Eve to cook them again without being asked,

“Hm, I suppose it would, yes. Although I think it’s well past ruined, and I could really go for some _Solyanka_ tomorrow, but you won’t cook it unless you pick out the meat yourself, so I can’t just sneakily buy it all.” Eve noted, taking the book from Villanelle’s hands and straddling her. “I think maybe we can just admit defeat, call it a tie, hm?”

Villanelle rested her now empty hands on Eve’s hips, slipping them under her shirt. “I suppose that could be acceptable, but only if I can have some _sujeonggwa_ as well. Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow. You make _solyanka_ for dinner and I make _sujeonggwa_ for dessert.” Eve leaned down, kissing Villanelle gently, trying to express the enormity of what she felt. She wasn’t sure there was a way to do that, to convey how much she adored the blonde.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

That would have to do, for now.

**Author's Note:**

> jajangmyeon: Korean noodles with sweet bean sauce  
> Soju: a Korean rice liquor  
> Kotleti: Russian fried meat patties with bread crumbs and onions  
> Medovukha: Russian honey alcohol similar to mead  
> Hoddeok: Korean sweet pancakes filled with honey, sugar syrup, cinnamon, and/or peanuts  
> Solyanka: Russian sweet and sour soup made with beef, chicken, and pork, as well as various fresh and pickled vegetables  
> sujeonggwa: Korean dessert punch made with dried persimmon, cinnamon, ginger, and sugar. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! Please leave your comments down below, they fuel me. I'm on tumblr, feel free to come talk to me: sunflowerbi


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